You're My Home
by samanddianefan10
Summary: After a bad day at the office Niles realizes there is one place on earth he'd never want to leave, and he has one person to thank for making his house a home.
1. Chapter 1

Niles was having a bad day. Three of his patients called his receptionist asking to be transferred to another physician. Not making any progress, they'd claimed. It was hard not to take statements like those personally. He'd given his best to his profession for nearly twenty years, and he was tired of feeling like a failure whenever something like this happened. Some days he wondered if he wouldn't be better off finding a different profession.

But thoughts like those were fleeting- all he had to do was look at the photo on his desk of Daphne and David and he knew he had at least one place where he belonged, a place where he was welcome no matter what the day might bring.

Daphne. She'd done so much to bring so much joy into his life and sometimes he wondered if she knew just how much he loved her and how much she meant to him. Without her, life would be empty, and most importantly, there would be no David. That boy tried him and pushed him to his limits, (those Moon boy genes had long since kicked in) but Niles also realized there was no limit to the love he had for his only child. He would do anything for Daphne, but he would give his life for David. Yes, he had a home to go to every night, and she was responsible for making it the one place he would never dream of leaving.

He walked in the door, with David busy doing homework and Daphne doing housework. To her surprise Niles walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a slow dance.

"What's going on? Niles, are you drunk?" Daphne giggled. Not that she minded his attention.

"If being deliriously happy is a crime, than lock me up for life. You don't know how happy you have made me my love."

Even after all those years it still delighted her to hear him call her by his pet name for her. "I called your office today. Your secretary said you were having a bad day."

"This is true. But I'm home now, and I can't think of a better place to be."

"You know, me dad, bless his heart, would have stopped by the pub and come crawling home on his hands and knees. Those were the days."

Niles smiled. He never tired of hearing about her family, even if it exhausted him mentally whenever her brothers came around. "You miss your dad, don't you?"

"every day," she turned to face him, tears flooding her eyes. Even though it had been five years since her father had passed, there was not a day that went by that she did not miss him.

After all, if it weren't for him, who knew if she would have married Niles, at least not in the manner in which they had?

Niles pulled her close to him. "I know it's hard honey. Some things just never get better...or easier."

"I just wish I had the chance to thank him."

"I'm sure he knew how much you loved him."

"Yes but it it weren't for you going all the way to England just to reconcile my parents then who knows where we'd be right now?"

Niles patted her reassuringly. "You know, life has a funny way of working out. I have no doubt we would have been together, one way or the other."

"but all the obstacles...Donny, Mel..."

"Let's not forget how difficult Frasier could be," Niles smiled, making Daphne laugh out loud.

"Yes but he's family. I think family's supposed to try you. They push you to be a better person. I know me family gets under your skin sometimes but if it weren't for them I don't think I would be the person I am today," Daphne mused.

"And if it weren't for you I wouldn't be the person I am today," Niles whispered in her ear.

She smiled for real this time. "Oh Niles, you always know what to say to comfort me. Here I am feeling sorry for meself and yet you make me smile. Come on, what's your secret?"

"It's no secret; I love you and I always have."

She was speechless. They'd been together throughout the years but he never failed to amaze her with his sensitivity and kindness.

"Me too, Niles. I think we should send David to his friend Brian's house for a sleepover tonight," Daphne said suggestively.

"As delightful as that sounds, I think I'd rather spend my time tonight with you and our son. After all, you are more than my family- you're my home."

More than ever Daphne knew that the risk of loving Niles would continue to pay off for the rest of her life. She didn't know what she would do if she'd ever lost him, and she didn't want to thank about that. Instead she kissed him and led him by the hand to David's bedroom to check on their son. Even though her father was no longer around, she was sure he was watching over her. She had to have an angel send Niles her way, and for that she would always be grateful.

The end


	2. Chapter 2

Daphne sobbed as she slipped off to sleep, recalling the night she'd heard the worst news of her life.

_It was three a.m. And the doorbell rang, the caller very persistent. Niles was beside her and she ran to check on David, who was safely asleep. So she woke Niles up to answer the door, and to their surprise it was her mother, who'd obviously been crying._

"_Mum! What's wrong? It's late at the night and you're crying. Did you run out of rum again?" Daphne tried to joke but she had a sick sense, maybe her psychic flashes were at work again, that something was terribly, terribly wrong._

"_Daphne sit down."_

_Normally somewhat rebellious when it came to her mum, Daphne obeyed, as did Niles who took his wife's hand._

"_Gertrude, is everything okay? Has Simon been incarcerated again?"_

"_Yes but that's not why I'm here. Do you think I'm so daft that I'd come over at this ungodly hour for Simon for heaven's sake?"_

"_Mum please, David's asleep and I don't want to scare him. If you have something to say please come out and tell me," Daphne chimed in._

"_It's your father..."_

_Daphne smiled at Niles. Probably found a new girlfriend which always set her mum back a bit. "What's the old coot done this time?"_

"_You wouldn't be joking around if you knew the reason I am here," Gertrude snapped._

" _No one's forcing you to be here," a half asleep Daphne snapped in return._

_Gertrude stood up indignantly. "Well I can see me presence is not wanted. I guess I'll just leave it for Stephan to tell you your father's dead."_

_Daphne stared at her mother, tears filling her eyes. In her heart she knew it was true. "Daddy?"_

_Gertrude ran to comfort her only daughter. "Yes, darling. Your father passed in his sleep last night. I just got the call and I had to tell me baby girl."_

"_Oh Mum!" Now Daphne was cyring in earnest. Her father...dead? It couldn't be. She's spoke to him last week and Niles had arranged a family vacation to visit him in England next month so he could finally meet his grandson David. Now he would never know David, and the thought haunted her more than she thought was humanly possible._

_Gertrude and Niles both ran to embrace Daphne, who was now inconsolable. " Leave me alone Niles. I wanted to visit him this month, but you said for David to finish school. Now David will never know his other grandfather. How could you do this to me Niles?" she sobbed as he rubbed her head._

_Niles was smart enough to realize that Daphne didn't mean to blame him, she was just in shock. The stages of grief could be a bear to go through, and it was his job as her husband to get her through this._

"_Oh my love, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I can say. I know how proud he was of you..."_

"_Now I'll never get a chance to tell him...to thank him...to say..."_

All Daphne had wanted was a chance to tell her father she loved him one last time, but alas, that was not meant to be.

Tbc

**A/N: I know this was a sad chapter, but with the anniversary of my own father's passing coming up, I felt this would be a way for me to honor him. Bear with me. It gets better. Thanks for reading.**

**Melinda**


	3. Chapter 3

_Niles didn't know what to do, he had never felt so helpless in his life. Every time he tried to comfort Daphne she just got up or rolled over and continued to cry. She was right- this was all his fault. If he hadn't insisted on David staying in school than Daphne's father would have gotten to meet his grandson David. How on earth was Daphne supposed to live with that?_

_He poured her some fresh juice in the morning after calling off work for the week. She took it without saying a word. She looked terrible, as if she hadn't slept in a week. How this would all play out, he didn't know but he decided to try to make things right. He called David off school for the week as well, knowing how much Daphne would need him at the moment._

_It turns out he was right. David was an extraordinarily perceptive young man, and he could sense that all was not well with his mother. So he came to her, still clad in his pajamas, and he told her how much he loved her._

_Smiling through her tears, Daphne responded," I love you too David."_

"_What's wrong Mum? Why are you crying?"_

_Niles smiled. It had turned out that David was so close to Daphne during the formative bonding years, he'd picked up a bit of an accent. It pleased him to no end to know that his fears that David would be like a Moon were realized- just that he was like Daphne Moon, not the Moon boys._

"_Mummy's just a bit sad. Your father and I have some bad news and we don't know how to tell you this."_

"_Has something happened to Uncle Frasier? Is he getting a divorce from Aunt Charlotte?"_

_He was, but that was a matter for another day. "No, my boy," Niles spoke up. "This might be hard for you to understand but something's happened to your grandfather..."_

"_Granddad Martin? Is he in heaven?" David started to sob, causing his mother to break down._

"_No, no. I'm sorry to have frightened you. It's your mother's father. I'm afraid he ...he is in heaven now."_

_Both Daphne and David stared at him, waiting for a reaction. To their shock, David smiled._

"_Did you hear your father? My daddy's gone now. Remember how we were going to take you to meet him next month?"_

"_I'm sorry, Mum, but I can't cry over someone I don't know. You scared me when you said something happened to my granddad. I thought you meant Granddad Martin!"_

_The thought of this traumatizing David so hadn't occurred to either of them, so Niles came up with an idea. "I tell you what. Your mother would probably like a nice long bath so why don't we go visit Granddad so you can see for yourself that he's okay."_

"_Really? Mum is that okay with you?"_

_She forced a smile. "Of course it is." She wanted to stay with her son but she knew that her son needed reassuring that Martin was okay._

_So Niles and David dressed and left Daphne alone, wondering how she would make it through the next hour let alone the next week._

_TBC_


End file.
